Public Schools and Guest Speakers: Do Parents Have Any Input?

Budget cuts have forced public schools to reduce their curriculum offerings, increase class sizes, and cut back on teacher positions. However, to fill the fiscal gap, many schools are taking even more drastic measures to reduce their operating costs.

The costs of new textbooks, classroom materials, and even handouts can result in massive school expenses. Subsequently, many public schools are now requiring students to purchase their own materials and books! As a result, many families may be forced to increase their education spending to meet their child’s classroom needs.

This video offers an overview of public K-12 education in the United States.

Cutting Jobs, Classes...and Textbooks?

When schools are faced with budget costs, most districts begin by eliminating faculty positions; however, reducing the number of teachers and administrators can only go so far on the bottom line. If school leaders reduce their faculty numbers, but still have not met their budgetary restrictions, then leaders are forced to develop new, and often controversial, alternatives.

For example, according to ABC News, schools across the state of California are hoping to reduce their spending by using older textbooks for longer periods of time. While California schools have already eliminated various educational programs, along with teaching and faculty positions, these cuts are simply not enough – and new textbooks are literally getting the ax.

In fact, school leaders report that the state of California will not be

Amidst nationwide budget cuts, nearly all public schools have been forced to readjust their operations. Subsequently, many schools have been forced to implement hiring freezes, reducing the number of teachers on each campus. In fact, experts found that 72% of polled public schools anticipate more job cuts.

What does this mean for your child? The hiring freezes translate into a larger number of students per classroom, which means less one-on-one attention for every student. Schools are feeling the ramifications of the economy from the east coast to the west coast, and so are students.

This video explains the pros and cons of becoming a teacher.

Thousands of Teaching Positions Left Vacant

According to the New York Times, New York area schools are a prime example of the nationwide budget struggles facing public school leaders. For example, just two weeks before the start of the 2009-2010 school year, approximately 1,800 teaching jobs in various New York City public schools remained vacant. While school leaders desperately wanted to fill the teaching job openings, reduced operating funds left leaders with limited options. In fact, the Education Department enforced a mandatory hiring freeze in the spring of 2009, prohibiting hiring new and/or returning teachers until further notice.

Fewer Funds Equals Fewer Teachers

On the west coast, North Clackamas School District, located in Oregon, has also experienced significant challenges due to the wavering

As students return to school after summer, the risk of H1N1 grows stronger. Students confined to close quarters are at greater risk of contracting any type of illness, and this year, the flu is much more serious. To combat the risks of shared seating, enclosed classrooms, and close student contact, public schools are actively creating plans to prevent the spread of H1N1 before the school year begins.

Attempting to Prevent the Spread of H1N1 in Public Schools

As Voice of America News reveals, public schools across the country are preparing for the potentially pandemic spread of H1N1 among their elementary, middle, and high school students. In fact, "Health experts say the illness poses a special risk to schools, which are set to re-open at the start of the flu season."

In an attempt to prevent the spread of this serious virus, some public school leaders are requiring that students receive mandatory vaccinations. While nearly all public schools require kids to have vaccinations for illnesses such as polio and the measles, some leaders believe that students should be vaccinated for H1N1 when the treatment becomes available. Based upon current vaccine testing, students should be able to gain access to the vaccination by October of 2009.

The US Center for Disease Controls (CDC) warns parents and school leaders that the H1N1 could "come back strong this year and trigger a severe flu season," and subsequently, the CDC "is recommending vaccines for several

Today's children must be prepared for tomorrow's demands. Considering technology's paramount role in nearly every career and industry, developing technological fluency is important for every child.

Understanding the relationship between technology and education, public schools have begun to incorporate innovative laptop programs to help improve student learning and performance. According to ERIC Digest, laptop programs have been part of organized education practices since 1988; however, these laptop opportunities have only recently gained national popularity in the past few years.

By incorporating laptops into public school classrooms, teachers can enhance the curriculum, providing students extensive research opportunities, access to up-to-date information, and many other learning benefits.

The Learning Benefits of Laptop Programs

As ERIC Digest further reveals, several leading computer companies have actively engaged in research to evaluate the benefits of laptops in public schools. In examining the perks, researchers and instructors report educational advantages, such as:

• Textbooks are expensive and often outdated, but students can engage in up-to-date research through the internet with laptops.
• Students can reinforce their lessons through their laptop's technological tools, including study games, class-specific discussion blogs, and other digital resources.
• Students can edit and correct their writing with greater ease, as the laptops provide students with instant dictionaries, spell-checking tools, and thesaurus resources.
• Students can become versed in technological tools, which will help provide students with greater preparation for their technology-based careers in the future.
• Students from different financial backgrounds can have